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Secret information vindicates Haneef visa decision: Andrews

AM - Wednesday, 1 August , 2007 08:06:00

Reporter: Alexandra Kirk

EMMA ALBERICI: The Immigration Minister, Kevin Andrews, insists material from the secret police dossier on Mohamed Haneef vindicates the decision to revoke his work visa.

The focus of the material is an internet chatroom conversation and two phone calls which the Minister says were enough to suspect a connection between the Indian doctor and the failed terror attacks in the UK.

Critics of the Minister's actions say it proves nothing.

From Canberra, Alexandra Kirk reports.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: The Immigration Minister's released only a bit of the confidential dossier after police warned revealing all would jeopardise continuing investigations. An internet chat room conversation between Mohamed Haneef and his brother after the failed UK bomb plot was central to Kevin Andrews' deciding the Indian doctor failed the "character test".

KEVIN ANDREWS: In it the brother of Haneef, Shuaib, says "Nothing has been found out about you," and asked when Dr Haneef would be getting out to which Haneef replied, "Today."

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Dr Haneef's brother told him not to explain why he was leaving for India other than his newborn child. The brother also mentioned their cousins - since arrested over the terrorism plots.

KEVIN ANDREWS: The brother then said not to delay his departure, and not to let anyone else use his number in Australia, or to give it to anyone. The brother added that auntie told him that brother Kafeel used it, he is in some sort of project over there.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Kevin Andrews says police told him of their suspicions about the intercepted conversation.

KEVIN ANDREWS: And secondly, that the AFP investigators consider Haneef's attempted urgent departure from Australia on a one-way ticket for a purpose which appears to be a false pretext, to be highly suspicious and may reflect Haneef's awareness of the conspiracy to plan and prepare the acts of terrorism in London and Glasgow.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: The Minister insists he acted in the national interest and hopes this will end the barrage of criticism of his visa decision.

KEVIN ANDREWS: I will continue to put the security and safety of Australians first in relation to this matter.

KEVIN ANDREWS: He'd done numerous press conferences in India. I think the Australian people would think, well, why didn't this bloke actually turn up and front the Australian media and let them ask questions?

Like they'd been asking me all week, and you're asking me tonight. He could have fronted up and answered all these questions to any journalist and any person from any of the media outlets who had a real interest in this case. Now he didn't do that.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Allan Behm, a leading security analyst who ran anti-terrorism policy in the Federal Attorney-General's department, doesn't think it will silence the critics.

ALLAN BEHM: It just seems to me that the business of Government should be conducted in the traditional, that is advice is given, Ministers consider the advice and then they make a decision and that's that.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: And cop the criticism?

ALLAN BEHM: And cop the criticism. But I certainly think that it is a very significant departure from normal practice for the Minister to now start putting the reasons that took him to apply his concept of reasonableness out for public scrutiny.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Labor says it'll examine the detail of the new material and respond in due course. But the minor parties are taking a position. Democrats' Senator Andrew Bartlett says the "so-called evidence" is flimsy.

ANDREW BARTLETT: Well this shouldn't be about ministers trying to see if they can get enough information out there to make the public sufficiently suspicious that they'll let them get away with destroying a person's life. This should be about having fair laws.

KERRY NETTLE: The Minister is trying to smear Dr Haneef in order to clear his own name. It would be much more responsible of the Minister to either stick with the courts or release all of the information so that people can judge for themselves.